Cisco CCIE R&S Book Reading List

Before you can tackle the CCIE R&S lab there is a lot of information you have to absorb and one way or another you’ll have quite some reading to do. Some of the CCIE R&S reading lists might have 10 – 20 books but I believe you don’t have to read that many.

In this lesson you’ll find the books that I think you should read because they will truly help you understand all the topics you need to know for the lab.

Let’s get started!

Studying for the CCIE R&S lab is difficult, time-consuming and sometimes a personal struggle. This isn’t CCNA or CCNP where you can read 1 or 2 books, do some labs and pass the exam. It will take a LOT of your personal time to study so you need a battle plan.

Your CCIE Lab Success Strategy, The Non-Technical Guide Book helps with everything non-technical that is related to your CCIE journey. It gives you examples to create a study schedule, timetables but also lets you think about how to organize your personal life while you study for the lab. The book has plenty of useful tips and it is also very inspiring to read the story of others who already finished their CCIE journey.

Before you even think about the lab exam you need to get the CCIE written exam out of the way. Without it, you can’t even book the lab so make sure you pass the written exam so you can focus on your real goal, the lab.

If you passed the CCNP exams then there are a couple of topics that you haven’t seen before like QoS and Multicast. The CCIE Routing and Switching Certification Guide covers all the exam blueprints so use it to study and pass the written exam.

This is the fourth edition but the fifth edition is right around the corner.

Routing TCP/IP Volume 1 is one of the classics on many CCIE R&S reading lists. I really enjoy Jeff Doyle’s writing style because he has a lot of configuration examples and explanations for show commands. This book covers routing in general but also RIP, OSPF, EIGRP and IS-IS.

You don’t have to know about RIP / IS-IS anymore for CCIE R&S but the sections on OSPF and EIGRP are still great to read. There is also a chapter about IPv6 but I think this might be a bit outdated by now (the book was written in 2005).

The second book by Jeff Doyle called Routing TCP/IP Volume 2 is also great to read. This book covers BGP, NAT and Multicast. If you just did CCNP then multicast is probably new to you. This book will help you get started to learn multicast. There is also a chapter about IPv6 but I would recommend to read another book for that (don’t worry it’s in this reading list).

OSPF is an important topic on the lab so it’s worth your time to read this beast.

This is another book I really enjoyed to read. Sam Halabi’s Internet Routing Architectures (Second Edition) is all about BGP. Simply said, everything you need to know about BGP is in this book. It has great explanations, scenarios and configuration examples.

This book is something different compared to the other CCIE R&S books. Troubleshooting IP Routing Protocols explains what can go wrong with protocols like EIGRP, OSPF, PIM (Multicast) and BGP and then explains how to solve it.

For example, for EIGRP it will first show all the reasons why EIGRP doesn’t establish a neighbor adjacency and once that is fixed, it will show different reasons why some prefixes are not showing up in the topology or routing table.

It explains PIM sparse, dense and sparse-dense mode in depth but also inter-domain multicast routing. It’s not a very thick book (562 pages) and some of the chapters that cover DVMRP (Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol) you can skip because it’s not on the CCIE R&S blueprint.

QoS (Quality of Service) is a difficult topic to master and there’s a ton of stuff you need to understand for CCIE R&S. Originally, the Cisco Qos Exam Certification Guide by Wendell Odom was written for the old CCIP track (it was replaced by CCNP Service Provider) which had a QoS exam.

This book explains all the QoS mechanisms in detail and still covers everything you should know for the lab.

Cisco added a lot of IPv6 in the routing & switching track since the latest revision (march 2013) of CCNA. If you haven’t really caught up with IPv6, make sure you read this book.

MPLS Fundamentals teaches you a lot more than what you need to know for the CCIE R&S lab. It’s not just the “fundamentals” but this book takes you to an advanced level of MPLS.

You will learn a lot about MPLS from this book, perhaps even more than what you are required to know for the CCIE R&S lab exam.

That’s the end of my reading list. There are plenty of books but I believe these are really worth your time! Keep in mind that only reading isn’t going to get you any closer to beating the lab. Make sure you configure many of the things that you read in these books yourself so you get familiar with the commands and configurations.

You might have noticed that I don’t have any switching books in this list. I would like to add one, but to be honest I can’t really name a book that is worth adding. Cisco Press has a book called Cisco LAN Switching but it’s really outdated (still has CatOS commands) and the newer version of it isn’t complete enough for CCIE R&S.

Version 5 of the CCIE lab is also completely virtual so there’s no point learning “platform specific” topics like we had to do in version 4 with the Cisco Catalyst 3560 switches.

I hope this list is useful to you. Feel free to share it with your friends. If you feel I should add or remove any of the books…please share it in our forum.

I have a question…does the date a book is published influence your decision whether or not to read it? A couple of the books on this list were written in the early 2000s. Is the information still relevant? I know OSPF probably hasnt undergone major changes in the past decade, but I cant help but wonder…

Amit,
Rene has an incredible YouTube video about CCIE preparation. In it, he says the Official Cert Guide should only be used towards the end as a final review. His point is that the material on the CCIE is so vast, it can’t possibly fit into a single volume. Don’t rely on it in any way as a primary source of knowledge.

New Lessons

Testimonials

Passed my CCNA

NetworkLessons.com is an amazing learning platform. I used their lessons as part of my CCNA certification preparation and look there: passed with 877! Thanks a lot for a great learning experience! All topics are explained very well in an understandable language. I will also use it for my CCNP preparation. Thanks so much!

Damir DuvnjakNetwork EngineerSeptember 6, 2017

Very Good in Explaining!

Accurate and very good in explaining technical networking topics materials. NetworkLessons.com provides complete courses for every networking topic imaginable. I really like their methods and ease of explanation and every fine detail in it. Together with their GNS3vault both websites are of great value. Keep on going!

Hans KneefelIP SpecialistDecember 9, 2015

Pedagogy & Deep Understanding of Networking

I’ve fallen in love with Rene’s materials. I was looking for an online course to start my CCNP R&S. Then I went like: Who's better than this guy playing that easy with networking principles and Cisco devices and who truly knows the art of teaching networking? I’m enjoying so far all valuable content of NetworkLessons.com and above all, Rene’s teachings are helping me to move smoothly on my journey towards my CCNP R&S certification. Rene in an expert in pedagogy and I recommend his courses to everyone who want to go deep with networking principles.

Serges AvodagbeNetwork EngineerMay 8, 2017

A Fantastic Teacher

NetworkLessons.com is a fantastic teaching platform. Every lesson is set up in a way that makes learning interesting and fun. Rene is an expert and doesn't try to impress his readers on how much he knows. He has a genuine desired to help others to grasp all network concepts. The one aspect I enjoy the most are the live demonstrations he includes with each lesson. The labs presented in his lessons are easily reproducible in GNS3 which has allowed me to hone my skills. NetworkLessons.com is very affordable and should be a part of anyone's Network Training Library.

Paul LagattaNetwork EngineerSeptember 1, 2016

Great Site!

I really appreciate Rene's ability to clearly explain complicated material and the examples he provides. NetworkLessons.com is a great resource for me and I come here first when I have a Cisco-related task to learn. Thanks Rene!

Sean CasonSenior Network AdministratorMay 9, 2016

Absolutely Fantasic CCIE Resource

I am studying CCIE R&S and NetworkLessons.com is one of the crucial resources for me. While in the middle of studying or working on a lab, if I have any doubt about a feature, setting, or protocol behaviors, I can quickly find clarification on NetworkLessons.com. I recommend this site as a VERY useful resource in CCIE studies.

Brian ORiordanMaster Systems TesterApril 3, 2018

Answers Are Only a Search Away

The unique method of NetworkLessons.com explaining topics makes it easy to understand. It's really a joy to learn and tead. I like the teaching techniques, they are clear, concise and to the point. I have never subscribed to any training resource before, but the quality that NetworkLessons.com has to offer makes it worth it. Especially when having to troubleshoot more complex network issues we face in production environments, answers are just a search away.

Quinton Jay MasonNetwork EngineerNovember 20, 2018

I’m now CCIE!

NetworkLessons.com is amazing and so awesome! I've used Renee's Master CCNP series to get my CCNP, so I was familiar with his learning style. When I found out he had a e-learning site, I knew I had to check it out right away. 10 months later I'm proud to say I'm now CCIE #58226 R&S. Thank you!

Quentin McIntoshNetwork Engineer January 29, 2018

I am using it everyday!

Networklessons.com is great tool that can be used everyday for learning or for work, you can find easily all the information you need, and the best thing is that if you have any particular question about anything in networking all you need to do is to send it Rene and he will answer it quickly. I recommend it to everyone. Thanks Rene!

Soufiane A.Senior Network ArchitectSeptember 24, 2015

Excellent E-Learning Cisco

I am a very content member! First I have been studying for two years by reading too many books but I could not make any serious progress on my certifications. Until I found out about NetworkLessons.com. I can recommend everyone to become a member. Believe it, you will not regret it! It's a great online training portal for Cisco exams.

Bahri AygördüITJuly 26, 2018

Well Worth It

Rene is quite simply great at what he does. My process for learning Cisco (and networking in general) is to get an introduction to concepts or processes first, and then once I have a general idea of what's what, then to go to NetworkLessons.com to actually understand the hands-on configuration and mechanics involved. So far it's a system that just can't be beaten and I would recommend it to anyone seeking to broaden their networking knowledge and skills. Thank you!

Rey GaljourIT Systems ManagerNovember 20, 2018

Easy To Read

There are a lot of websites with content about computer networks but on networklessons I found the best and easy to read articles to help me prepare for Cisco exams. I am very happy and excited about each subject that I have learned!